


when no one is around

by reylotrash711



Series: reylotrash711 folklore/evermore collection [6]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Dancer Rey (Star Wars), F/M, Fluff, Inspired by Music, Love, Love at First Sight, Romance, dance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 17:28:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30059013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reylotrash711/pseuds/reylotrash711
Summary: At first, he had hated it, hated his uncle and his parents for reducing him to this. His mother had told him it would be a “learning experience” that it would help him leave everything behind and start over completely. He had spent his first week furious, moving around the theatre like a storm cloud.But then…Then he saw her.And his world got that little bit brighter.---inspired bymirrorballby taylor swift
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: reylotrash711 folklore/evermore collection [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2084049
Comments: 5
Kudos: 38





	when no one is around

**Author's Note:**

> Woo here it is, story six of the folklore/evermore series. Today's fic is inspired by Mirrorball so I hope you enjoy it! 
> 
> And also, Taylor Swift won Album of the Year for Folklore at the Grammys last night, whoop whoop! 
> 
> Thank you to [Cecilia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ceciliasheplin/works) for the beta!

He’d seen her dance before. Countless times. She started at the theatre around the same time he had, just after he had left Snoke for good to work at his Uncle Lando’s theatre as a cleaner of all things. He’s gone from being one of the most ruthless lawyers in New York to sweeping up spilt popcorn from an auditorium floor after every show. At first, he had hated it, hated his uncle and his parents for reducing him to this. His mother had told him it would be a “learning experience” that it would help him leave everything behind and start over completely. He had spent his first week furious, moving around the theatre like a storm cloud. 

But then…

Then he saw her. 

And his world got that little bit brighter. 

She was a background dancer in his Uncle’s newest production, _Swan Lake_. It had been opening night so his Uncle had allowed him to watch the performance from the back of the auditorium. He had been reluctant to attend but had no better way to spend his time these days so he agreed. 

As he stood at the back of the auditorium with his arms crossed over his chest, glowering at the stage as the ladies pranced around as graceful swans, he had been about to walk out. But then she had appeared. 

Toes pointed and arms outstretched, her posture perfect as she moved across the stage with her fellow dancers. For the rest of the production, Ben had been drawn to her, enchanted by her movements as she danced. Often she was hidden amongst the shadows and set, a small light in the background, barely noticeable compared to the other dancers. 

But his eyes never left her, watching as she made every leap, every twirl with a precision he admired. Each movement was perfect, it was like watching an angel, a glowing light that captured him. 

She was beautiful. 

The most beautiful woman he had ever seen. 

Maybe he should have spoken to her after the performance, approached her at the after-party perhaps. But his nerves got the better of him and he stayed away, watching from a distance as she hung at the back of the party, glass in hand as everyone fawned over the lead dancers. It broke his heart a little, seeing her alone and unrecognised after such a wonderful performance. 

He watched her from the other side of the room, his mind a battlefield as he debated whether or not he should walk over, to offer her a drink, tell her how wonderfully she had danced.

But when she had turned and her gaze had met his own, his heart had practically burst in his chest and he had turned on his heel and walked away, terrified that he’d mess up. He wasn’t worthy of someone as wonderful as her. 

Over the following months, he had attended all of her performances, always from the back of the auditorium, watching from a distance. He’d seen her as a swan, a moulin rouge can-can dancer, a dance student and simply as herself, dancing her heart out to the thousands of people who came to watch his Uncle’s productions. 

He told himself he was there because it was his job, to be ready to clean up at the end of the night. He tried not to think about the fact he didn’t actually have to watch every performance in order to clean the auditorium afterwards. 

He soon learnt that her name was Rey Niima after finding it in the back of one of the programs as he sat organising them in his Uncle’s office one afternoon.

“Rey,” he had said aloud to the empty room, testing how her name sounded. It was a beautiful name. Rey. Like a ray of sunlight. 

A bright light that had shone through the darkness that Snoke had cloaked him in, that he had been trapped in for so long. But without knowing it, she had changed everything, making each day that little bit easier. 

He cursed himself, wishing he was a better man. A man that could possibly deserve her. He’d seen her between shows, during intervals and at the occasional party. Her beautiful smile, her compassion and kindness that touched the people around her. 

He’d noticed her, he’d seen her. And he dreamt that one day, perhaps she’d see him too. 

* * *

Her limbs were still aching from the night’s performance when she stepped out onto the empty stage, finally out of costume and dressed in an over-sized t-shirt and black leggings. She placed her beaten up speaker on a small table that made up part of the set, connecting her phone as she chose the song she wanted. 

As she waited for the music to begin, she moved into the centre of the stage, standing in the centre of the lone spotlight. She let out a deep breath, looking out at the empty auditorium. Here she was, front and centre. If she closed her eyes she could almost hear the crowds from her dreams, cheering and applauding her. 

When the music began, her movements were gentle, timid even. Her hands trembled slightly from her nerves. She probably shouldn’t be here, she certainly didn’t have a reason to be, it wasn’t like she had a solo to rehearse. And yet, it felt right to be here. To stand beneath the spotlight and just… let go. 

Her movements were stronger, more precise as the lyrics began, she couldn’t help but close her eyes, allow the words to float around her, guiding her feet as she danced.

_I want you to know, I’m a mirrorball, I’ll show you every version of yourself tonight._

She’d wanted to dance since she was a child. Rey adored music, and with that passion came her love for dance, her desperation to let go and allow it to show her the way, to let her feet follow it’s sweet melodies. 

Of course, she was self-taught, growing up in the system didn’t leave room for regular dance lessons. But she worked her arse off, pushing herself every day to achieve what people with smirks and snide remarks would call impossible. Rey had taught herself that there was no such thing.

She earned a scholarship to learn dance abroad and left London behind for good, walking away from her childhood without looking back. From there, she got better, her skills improving over the three-year course. Before she knew it, she was auditioning for troupes, for prestigious academies and shows. 

The day she had been accepted into _The Resistance_ , had been the best day of her life. The dance group was everything she had dreamed of, a perfect mix of old contemporary work, musical theatre and a number of styles that she’d need a paper and pen to name them all. 

Rey adored her position, maybe she wasn’t one of the lead dancers, but she was in the room, she shared the stage with them and danced her heart out every performance no matter what.

As the song reached the chorus, she found herself moving into a leap, flying through the air in a way that always took her breath away before landing and sinking to the floor, rolling before rising to her fit once again as she pirouetted. 

_Hush,_

_When no one is around my dear,_

_You’ll find me on my tallest tiptoes,_

_Spinning in my highest heels, love_

_Shining just for you._

It was only when she stopped spinning, did her gaze fall upon a figure in the shadows at the back of the auditorium. 

_Him._

Her breath hitched and she quickly moved into her next movement, praying he hadn’t realised that she had noticed him. Maybe if he didn’t, he’d stay this time, maybe he wouldn’t run away. 

He was a cleaner, she knew that much from his uniform. He came to every performance, always watching from the shadows. Rey couldn’t deny that her heart would flutter whenever their gazes would meet across a room. There was something in his eyes that enchanted her, drew her in. 

She told herself he was just watching the other dancers, that he was enjoying the performance. Because why on earth would he watch her? She was the girl at the back who went unnoticed, she was nothing. 

When she reached the end of the song, she was breathing heavily, brushing her hair away from her face. Turning to the back of the room, she watched as the door swung closed. Her gaze dropped to the stage floor, her shoulders trembling slightly. 

This always happened. He had intrigued her for months and she had really wanted to talk to him. She should really stop being a coward. 

“Oh screw this.” She whispered, rushing to her phone and speaker. Tossing them into her back, she threw on her oversized coat and rushed out of the auditorium. 

* * *

Ben hurried through the corridors of the theatre. She’d seen him, she’d definitely seen him. God, he was such a fucking idiot. 

She had looked like an angel up on that stage, moving with perfect grace through every movement, her feet following the sweet melody of the song. It had moved him, she danced with an emotion he couldn’t describe, like she was telling a story, showing the empty auditorium who she was. 

He should really talk to his Uncle about putting her front and centre in the next production, right where she deserved to be, in the spotlight. 

And he should probably tell him that he’d no longer be working in the theatre, he’d move across the country to his Uncle Luke’s ranch and spend the rest of his life dying of embarrassment. 

When he reached the reception, he moved quickly through the glass exit doors, walking out onto the cold dark street, breathing heavily as he tried to calm his nerves. As he turned to walk to the subway, a voice called out to him. 

“Wait!”

He froze. 

Turning slowly, he stood in the street, watching as Rey Niima came jogging out the building, stopping a few feet away from him. They stood looking at each other, just as they had so many times from across crowded rooms. Only this time, they were alone, with only a few paces stopping them from reaching out to each other. 

“Hello,” Rey said, her voice quiet and almost timid, so different from the beautiful laugh he often heard from the other side of a room. 

“H-hello” he stammered, his hands twitching at his sides. 

Rey took a step forward, “I’ve seen you, at the productions and parties.” She said with a smile, “I was hoping you’d talk to me at some point.”

Ben shrugged, “I always figured I’m the last person you would want to speak too. The sad cleaner no one talks to.” 

A chuckle escaped Rey and she shook her head, “Believe me, I know what it’s like to be alone in the background.” She said. Her eyes widened and she shivered slightly in the cold, “Sorry, I’m being weird, you probably think I’m really strange. I just thought- I just thought maybe it’d be nice to have a friend here.”

Ben swallowed, watching as she nervously fumbled for the right words. It dawned on him then that perhaps she had felt it too, that strange but oddly wonderful pull he had felt towards her ever since he first lay eyes on her. 

Only when Rey spoke again did he realise he had failed to reply to her, “I’m sorry, this was a bad idea, I’ll let you get on with your evening.” 

“No, wait!” He found himself calling out, taking a slow step towards her. Rey paused, biting her lip as her eyes met his, he could feel how nervous she was, it mirrored his own anxiety, “I would like to be friends.” He said hurriedly, afraid she was going to walk away.

A smile broke across Rey’s face, “Really?” She asked, her voice sweet and angelic in his ears.

Ben nodded, “I think you are the most talented dancer I have ever seen, I’d like to be friends.”

Rey moved closer to him, a glint in her eyes, “Or maybe you could ask me for my number and we could grab a bite sometime?”

“Grab a bite?” Ben asked. Rey nodded. “S-sure, I’d love that.” 

Rey smiled, “Great.” She said, stretching out her hand, “I’m Rey.”

Ben took her hand, feeling sparks between their fingertips that drew a gasp from both of them. He shook it gently, “I’m Ben.” He said, his voice barely a whisper as he looked into her eyes, completely entranced by her. 

“Nice to meet you, Ben, I look forward to getting to know you better.”

Ben was fairly certain that at that moment, his life had changed forever. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! The next fic will be coming soon but until then you can follow me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/reylotrash711) for updates!
> 
> If you enjoyed please consider leaving comments and kudos x


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